Alejandro Valverde: Olympic gold is my number one target

Alejandro Valverde says he will always have the Olympic Games in the back of his mind when racing in 2016, even when helping Nairo Quintana in the Tour de France Alejandro Valverde after stage twenty-one of the 2015 Tour of Spain Alejandro Valverde admits his whole race schedule in 2016 is building towards winning the gold medal in the Olympic Games road race in Rio de Janeiro in August.

The 35-year-old Spaniard has won a lot of races in his career, but and Olympic medal has eluded him in his three attempts. He finished 47th in Athens (2004), 13th in Beijing (08) and 18th in London four years ago, but in Rio he stands his best chance yet of winning.

He has already been named the lead rider of the Spanish national team for the race, where the hilly parcours will suit his style .

“I can do well on the circuit they’ve designed in Rio,” Valverde told El Mundo . “I will do more one-day racing [in 2016] and I’ll see what I can do in the Giro d’Italia and I’ll help Nairo Quintana in the Tour de France, but I’ll be doing those races with Rio in the back of […]